31/12/2018 - THERE IS NO CONTRADICTION

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I remembered God, and was troubled; I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed.  Psalm 77:3

This Psalm brings us lessons that will help us to live the reality of the New Testament.  For many people, it suffices to pray in the Name of Jesus, and everything will be solved; however, this is not how the Scriptures teach us.  In verse 1, Asaph declares he had called out to God with his own voice.  He was not referring to his natural voice, but with the understanding obtained through the Word.  This voice is not heard with the natural hearing but with and through the spirit.

Next the psalmist brings forth an important revelation, saying he had raised a cry to God and that the Lord inclined His ears to him.  Beautiful! When we behave in this manner, He turns Himself to us in order to answer.  Understand that if you pray without the voice given you by the Word, God will not listen.  However, if you have it the Almighty will incline His ear and this indicates that you will have the answer that you seek.

In verse 2 he says that he sought the Almighty in the day of trouble.  If you have problems, seek the Lord and follow His instruction.  Again, do not be upset if you did not receive help from Him.  Hannah sensed that God wanted to give her a son, but her barrenness was a great obstacle.  So then she entered the tabernacle and prayed so intensely that she was labeled as a drunkard.

Hannah had understood that faith had restored her hand once shriveled due to the fall of Adam.  Later, we see the same happen to the man with the shriveled hand which symbolized all of us.  Jesus saw him in the synagogue, called him to the front and asked him to extend the shriveled hand. As he did so the hand was restored wholesome and sound as the other (Matthew 12:10-13). Asaph said: My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing; (Psalm 77:2).  Didn’t Hannah act in this same way?

The psalmist’s soul refused to be consoled, as did Hannah’s. Her husband asked her: Hannah why do you weep?. . . Am I not better to you than ten sons?(1 Samuel 1:8) Elkanah did not know the fact that God wanted to give her children. But first Hannah would have to demolish the barriers around her; otherwise she would not receive the blessing. She would not allow herself to be consoled so as not to be held responsible for disrupting the divine promise. So, she presented herself directly to the heavenly Commander!

Every time she remembered what God had commanded her, Hannah would be upset. Those that fear Him always do.  Nothing will console or calm them until their mission that was entrusted by the Most High is accomplished.  Those who do not truly fear God say “What can I do?  I did what I could but the Lord did not want to answer me.”  The psalmist said that he remembered God and this troubled his soul.  Friend, there is no contradiction in the Lord.  Fight until you fulfill your calling.

It is useless to complain.  If you do your spirit will faint.  Do like Jacob when struggling with the angel.  Whoever saw him would consider him crazy because they only saw his movements (Genesis 32. 24 – 31). Eli, the priest, saw Hannah struggle in prayer and judged her to be drunk.  Only those who are in the spirit see what is behind a prayer in faith.  The warrior Hannah was fighting a real Warrior!

In Christ, with Love,

R. R. Soares